Given this trait, it was interesting to see the handling distinctions between the basic Park Avenue and the flagship Ultra. The ride and handling traits of the standard Park Avenue are indistinguishable from its predecessors, traits that have earned big Buick sedans a stodgy image over the years - floating ride quality, pronounced body roll and vague power steering.

We prefer the livelier performance of the Park Avenue Ultra. With its supercharged engine and touring suspension, it can easily take on the best Lincoln and Chrysler have to offer. If the Ultra's extra performance isn't important to you, the standard Park Avenue may be the way to go. The Park Avenue comes well equipped and stacks up as an exceptional buy among large cars.

GM's 3800 Series II V6 offers enough smooth, quiet power to provide brisk acceleration. Available in 205-horsepower normally aspirated (Park Avenue) and 240-horsepower supercharged (Ultra) versions, the 3800 delivers lots of low rpm getaway power, instant throttle response, and plenty of punch for passing.

Power is transferred to the front wheels through one of GM's butter-smooth electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmissions. They're among the best in the business. Anti-lock brakes come standard.

Its optional Gran Touring suspension further improves the responsiveness of the Park Avenue by replacing the standard Dynaride suspension with stiffer suspension components. The Gran Touring Package is available for the Ultra ($200) and includes special 16-inch aluminum wheels and 225/60R16 Goodyear Eagle LS Touring tires. When ordered for the Park Avenue ($335 or $285 when purchased with the leather package), the package also includes dealer-programmable magnetic variable-effort steering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The steering system, which is different from the basic Park Avenue, varies the amount of power assist as vehicle speed and/or steering wheel angle increases, providing a significantly better sense of where the front wheels are pointed. The stiffer suspension package reduces ride height slightly and yields much sharper responses in quick maneuvers. The tradeoff in ride quality from the standard Park Avenue is minuscule.

All in all, the Ultra's enhanced control and firmer ride lends a contemporary feel that's a pleasant step forward for Buick.

Quiet operation has always been a top priority for Buick sedans, and here too the Park Avenues represent a step forward. Wind noise has been reduced to a mere whisper, and the unitbody does a superior job of keeping road noise out of the cabin. The supercharged engine is audible at full throttle, but we think it's worth a little extra noise to have its superior thrust.

Add roomy seats with real move-around comfort, and the going becomes positively serene, particularly in freeway cruising. The Park Avenue isn't quite as quiet as a Lexus LS 400, but the distinctions are academic in most operating situations - unlike the distinction in price.